Signor of one-third to max bachur and james heyn



J. P. R. KNoBLoGH.

(No Model.)

POWER CONVERTER.

. Patent'edJ-u'e 16, 1896.

Mu w m ANDREW RGFIMMM. PHOTO-UTIIO-WASHINGTDN. DL

\ I Y l, i

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHANN FERDINAND ROBERT KNOBLOCI-I, OF HAMBURG, GERMANY, AS-

SIGNOR OE ONE-THIRD TO MAX BACHUR AND JAMES HEYN, OF SAME PLACE.

POWER-CONVERTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 561,998, dated .Tune 16, 1896.

Application filed May 18, 1895. Serial No. 549,833. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHANN FERDINAND ROBERT KNoBLocH, a subject of the German Emperor, and a resident of Hamburg, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Power-Converters, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable Others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters and4 ligures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to appliances for accumulating or storing power resulting from the vibratory movements or alternate depressions and elevations imparted to a prime mover, and it is particularly designed to convert into power the fleXure-of railway-rails under the weight of a train traveling over the same and to accumulate or store such power for useful purposes.

It is well known Y,that the rails of railways are subjected to leXure or alternate depression and elevation by the weight of a train traveling over the same and that however slight these Iiexures may be their sum total on a line withfaverage traffic is very considerable, and by means of my invention I am enabled to convert these pressures into power and accumulate and utilize the'same.

Referring` to the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a fragmentary side elevation, partlyV in section, of a power-converter embodying my invention. Eig. 2 is a like view illustrating` the various parts of the converting mechanism in their relative positions when yielding up the accumulated or storedup power, and Fig. 3 is a cross-section taken on the line I IIof Fig. 2.

In the described drawings, a indicates a transmitting-lever pivoted centrally to the end of one of the arms of a two-armed rocklever l), having its fulcrnm in a bracket on the base or bed plate b3 of a framingin which the converting mechanism is mounted. Inasmuch as the levers c. and b require but a comparatively small space, they can be located between two cross-ties, and in order to afford a firm bearing for the rails S on the opposite ends of the transmitting-lever ct I provide wedge-shaped plates a', adjustable by means of nuts on extensions or journals projecting from the opposite ends of said lever, as shown in Fig. l. In the end of the other arm of the vrock-lever l) is formed a socket in which slides freely an actuatingpawl b', held normally in engagement with the teeth of a ratchet-wheel c by a coilspring b2, interposed between the inner face of such socket and between the inner end of pawl b.

The converting mechanism, as heretofore stated, is mounted in a suitable framing comprising slide-plates g and the aforementioned base-plate b3. This mechanism consists of the aforesaid ratchet-wheel c, adapted to be rotated step by step by the pawl b, said ratchet-wheel being mounted on a spindle d, that has its bearing in the side plates g of the framing. The said spindle d also carries a second ratchet-wheel e and a barrel or drum f, suitable check-pawls 't' and t" being provided that prevent the backward rotation of said ratchet-wheels c and e.

` In order that the power'exerted upon the rails S bythe load moving over the same may be accumulated or stored, the rotation of the vbarrel or drum f under the action of the pawl b on its ratchet-wheel c must be antagonized by a resistance so arranged as to be capable of yielding up the accumulated or stored power. This resistance may consist of a spring arranged within the barrel f to antagonize its rotation under the action of the pa'wl Z2', said spring to be wound up by the power exerted -upon the rails'S toL flex the same,or said resistance may consist, as shown, of a rope k, adapted to wind on the drum or barrel f, and the winding of which is antagonized by a weight at its free end. In either case the resistance to the rotation of the ratchet-wheels c and e in one direction must be proportioned relatively to the power exerted upon the rails S to eX the same as to be overcome by such power, as will be readily understood. Furthermore, in order to make the accumulated or stored power available, means must be provided to throw the actuat- IOO t t, i

ing-pawl p, as well as the eheck-pawls t' and t, out of engagement with their respective ratchets. To these ends I provide a handlever Z, fulcrumed to one of the side plates g of the framing, said hand-lever provided with a two-armed pawl Z', adapted to engage the ratchet-wheel e, so that when said lever is depressed the wheel e will be turned forward or in the direction in which it is moved by the pawl D', thereby relieving the pawls Z and 'Z' of the pressure exerted thereon through their respective ratchet-wheels c and e by the resistance, the tendency of which is to revolve said wheels in a direction opposite to their directions of rotation under the action of pawl b.

The lever Z has pivoted thereon a catch or detent Z2, adapted 'to engage a notch m4 in the downwardly-bent ende of a two-armed lever m, fulerumed to one of the side plates g of the framing, said lever having a laterallyprojecting arm near its left-hand end, Fig. 3, to whichis pivotcd one end of a link m2, the other end of said link being slotted for the reception of a pin projecting from the side of the cheek-pawl fI, the cheek-pawl t" being similarly linked to the left-hand arm of said lever by a link m3. At the end of its lefthand arm the lever m has a pin projecting` into a longitudinal slot at the upper endof a connecting-rod my', whose lower end is pivoted to the free end of a rock-lever 2, having its fulerum on the base-plate b3 of the framing, said lever being normally in contact with apin 3, projecting from the side of the actuating-pawl ZJ', Figs. l and 2. From one of the side plates g of the framing projects a pin Z3, that lies in the path of the upper arm of the two-armed pawl Z' on lever Z.

During the accumulation or storage of power the catch or deient Z2 is out of engagem ent with the notch m4 on the arm 4 of lever m, while the lower arm of pawl Z is in engagement with the teeth of ratchet e, Fig. 1, and as said ratchet revolves toward the pawl the latter rides freely over the ratchet-teeth, the` actuating-pawl b' and the check-pawls i and i-'bcing also in engagement with their respective ratchet wheels. When, however, the leverZ is depressed, the lower arm of pawl Z' turns the ratchet-Wheels e c and drum f forward or toward the right, thereby relieving the check-pawls 'L' and '17 of strain or pressure and causing the catch or detent Z2 to hook into the notch m4 of lever Z. Upon a further depression of said lever Z the upper arm of pawl Zstrikes the pin Z3,whieh throws said upper arm toward the left and disengages the lower arm of the pawl from the ratchet-wheel e, and at the same time the lever m lifts the eheck-pawls out of the teeth of the ratchet-wheels c and e and throws the lever 2 also toward the left, thereby moving the actuating-pawlb' out of engagement with its ratchet-wheel c, leaving the converting mechanism free to revolve backward or toward the left under the action of the spring or weight, thereby revolving spindle cZ,whosc rotary motion maybe transmitted to any suitable apparatus.

It is obvious that when a train passes over the rails S and the latter are deflected or bent downwardly the pressure will be transmitted to both ends of the lever a. Ilenee said pressure will be uniformly distributed over the length of said lever and transmitted thereby to the rock-lever Z9 and through the pawl b' thereof to the ratchet-wheel c, rotating the latter a distance commensurate with or proportionate to the amplitude of the track deflection, and as the track again assumes its normal position thereby lifting the left-hand end of the lever l), its pawl riding over the teeth of ratchet-wheel c, owing to the fact that said pawl is held in engagement with the ratchet-teeth by a yielding pressure. Iliasmuch as the lever a is pivotcd eentrallyto the rock-lever l), said lever a is adapted to swing on its pivot under unequally distributed loads, and as the said lever Z) is a roekinglever a yielding orfiexible support is provided for the lever d and rails S.

I-Sy means of the wedge-shaped plates I not only provide a bearing for the rails of the desired superficial area, but am enabled to take up wear between the parts.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with the track-rails, a horizontal two-armed rock-lever, a transmittin g-lever provided with bearings for the aforesaid rails, said lever pivotcd centrally to one of the arms ofthe rock-lever, and a springactuated pawl on the other arm of said roeklever, of a shaft, a drum and ratchet-wheel secured rigidly to said shaft, said ratchet-wheel normally engaged by the aforementioned pawl, a yielding resistance antagonizing the rotation of the drum, and a check-pawl for checking the ratchet against backward rotation, for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination with a horizontal, twoarmed rock-lever, a vertically-reeiprocating prime mover transmitting mechanism for transmitting the reciprocations of the prime mover to one of the arms of said lever, an actuating-pawl at the other end of such lever and a yielding connection between said pawl and lever, a shaft, a drum and two ratchet- Wheels rigidly secured to the shaft, one of said ratchet-wheels normally engaged by the aforementioned pawl, a yielding resistance antagonizing the rotation of the drum, and check-pawls for locking the ratchets against rotation under the stress of the resistance and a releasing mechanism, Operating to disengage the actuating and cheek pawls from their respective ratchets, for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination with the rock-lever ZJ and its spring-actuated pawl b', the ratchetwheels c and e and the check-pawls 'L' and Z', of a hand-operated lever connected with the IOO IIO

check-pawls, an auxiliary lever in normal engagement with the actuating-pawl, said auX- iliary lever actuated by the hand-operated lever to move the actuating-pand out of engagement with its ratchet-Wheel and simultaneously lift the check-pawls out of engagement With their ratchet-Wheels, for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination with the rock-lever b, the spring-actuated paWl b provided With a laterally-projecting pin 3, the ratchet-Wheels c and e, the check-parvis c' and i', the lever 2, normally in contact with the aforesaid pin 3, the lever m. and link connections between.

said lever, the check-parvis c' and c" and the lever 2, of a hand-lever Z provided With a detent Z2 adapted to engage a notch in one arm of the lever m and With a pawl Z adapted to engage the ratchet-Wheel e and means for automatically disengaging the last-named paWl from its ratchet When the hand-lever is depressed, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination With a two-armed rocklever, a reciprocating prime mover adapted to rock said lever, a revoluble shaft, a drum and two ratchet-Wheels of different diameters secured to said shaft, one of said ratchets normally engaged by the aforementioned pawl, check-parvis for locking the ratchets against backward rotation and a yielding resistance antagonizing the rotation of the drum, of releasing mechanism comprising a lever7 intermediate connections between said lever and the actuating and check pavvls, operating to disen gage the same from their respective ratchets, when said lever is moved in the proper direction and means for relieving the pawls of the strain thereon due to the yielding resistance, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my inventionI have signed my name, in presA ence of two Witnesses, this 4th day of May, 1895.

JOHANN FERDINAND ROBERT KNOBLOCH. 

